Artwork
The fishwife
The fishwife is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Quirijn van Brekelenkam. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Quirijn van Brekelenkam’s oil painting *The Fishwife*, executed circa 1660, presents a modest interior scene typical of Dutch genre works of the Golden Age. The composition features three figures—a woman handling fish, an older woman seated nearby, and a child peeking from behind—set within a dimly lit wooden room. The work belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a fishwife dressed in a red apron and white cap, is shown arranging a catch on a table crowded with additional fish, reflecting everyday market activities and domestic labor. The presence of the older woman and child adds a narrative layer, suggesting a family or communal setting common in 17th‑century Dutch depictions of ordinary life.
Technique & Style
Van Brekelenkam employs a refined handling of light and shadow, characteristic of the Leiden fijnschilders, to render the glistening scales and the illuminated faces against the surrounding gloom. The subtle chiaroscuro creates a tactile sense of texture, while the meticulous brushwork conveys the polished finish associated with his training under Gerard Dou.
History & Provenance
Active in Leiden during the mid‑17th century, van Brekelenkam likely apprenticed with Gerard Dou, a leading figure among the fijnschilders. *The Fishwife* remained in private hands before entering the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Dutch Golden Age holdings.
Context
Fish and market scenes were popular motifs in Dutch still‑life and genre painting, symbolising both the prosperity of maritime trade and the moral undertones of honest labor. The work reflects the broader cultural interest in portraying the quotidian realities of the Dutch middle class.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Quirijn or Quiringh Gerritsz van Brekelenkam (1622/29, Zwammerdam – 1669/79, Leiden) was a Dutch Baroque genre painter.
